The Memento
It was a long time between novels for Christy Ann Conlin, but her latest book, The Memento, was well worth the wait . Why so long between novels? That’s a twofold answer. From a craft perspective, it took me about twelve substantial drafts to weave together all the elements of The Memento . I did a huge amount of research and every draft led to more research. There are some thrilling twists and turns, and unexpected moments in the novel, all of which came together through process of layering, so to speak. The Memento is a bit of a hybrid, a literary novel combining elements of a mystery and historical novel with gothic ghost story elements. From a life perspective, a lot unfolded in the years between novels, from having a young family at the same time as my father being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease. In 2012, I also co-created and hosted CBC Fear Itself, a national radio show where we explored the role of fear plays in day to day life, and in art and culture. That consume...